Reprinted with permission from CEP (Chemical Engineering Progress), February 2011.

Copyright 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE).

Back to Basics

Understanding
Steam Traps
James R. Risko
TLV Corp.

Steam trap failures can affect process operations and

reduce profits. Choosing the right steam traps can
improve reliability and reduce cost.

team traps and steam systems represent a large portion of a manufacturing plants total operating cost,
but methods to reduce spending in this area are not
clearly defined. Problems may arise when engineers lack
knowledge regarding such questions as: How do steam
traps affect the steam system and process and product quality? What are the best types of traps to use? What differentiates the best manufacturers? What testing methods are
used for determining trap failures?
The many considerations involved in selecting, installing, and maintaining steam traps can make it difficult

p Figure 1. This normally functioning steam trap discharges condensate

and noncondensable gases, with a negligible loss of live steam.

to recognize what is important and what is not. Typical

information sources such as manufacturers and the sites
previous experiences may not provide all of the necessary
information. It can be helpful to break down cost-reduction
goals into smaller segments and analyze each separately.
For example, a common myth is that the purchase
price of a new steam trap is a major component of system
cost. Because the impact of operating cost is typically
significantly higher than purchase price, it is important to
understand the factors that negatively affect that cost. Total
system operating cost is comprised of multiple components, including steam loss, generating cost, emissionsrelated credits, and maintenance charges. When calculating
the cost per unit of production, productivity impact should
also be considered.
This article describes the various failure states of steam
traps and steam systems, as well as the potential consequences of not repairing failed steam traps. For a general
overview of steam traps, see Ref. 1.

Functional steam loss

A steam trap is a device used to discharge condensate
and noncondensable gases with negligible loss of live
steam (Figure 1). Steam loss through non-failed steam
traps is referred to as functional steam loss (FSL) the
amount of steam that is consumed during the operation of a
properly functioning steam trap.
Steam traps with low functional steam loss rates can
save money. For example (Table 1), a steam trap (Trap
A) with an FSL of 0.1 lb/h will incur a $9/yr cost for lost
steam (assuming a steam cost of $10/1,000 lb). A 3-lb/h
increase in FSL (Trap C) can amount to $272/yr in lostCEP February 2011 www.aiche.org/cep

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Back to Basics

Table 1. Selecting steam traps with low functional steam loss rates can save a plant a significant amount of money.
Steam Trap
Model
Steam Trap A

FSL,
lb/h

FSL Annual Cost

per Steam Trap
(at $10/1,000 lb steam)

FSL Annual Cost

for 4,000
Steam Traps

FSL Annual Cost Difference

for 4,000 Steam Traps
(Relative to Base Case)

0.1

$9

$36,000

$0

Steam Trap B

1.2

$105

$420,000

$384,000

Steam Trap C

3.1

$272

$1,088,000

$1,052,000

Notes: Examples are for illustration only and do not refer to any particular steam trap. FSL is determined according to
ISO 7841 (2).

steam costs. A plant that has 4,000 steam traps of the Trap
A design would require $36,000 of steam due to FSL per
year, while 4,000 Trap C traps would require $1,088,000
per year. This represents a $1,052,000 difference.
Some manufacturers may report zero steam loss. Is
a claim of zero steam loss a myth or fact, and is this an
important factor to consider?
A high FSL can represent a sizeable portion of the total
steam loss, significantly impacting cost. Thus, if a claim
of zero steam loss for a certain trap is accurate, a major
contributor to the total system cost is eliminated.
However, such claims of zero steam loss may be
based on a manufacturers internal testing methods rather
than internationally recognized standards. Some internal
methods might employ condensate loads during testing that
are much higher than those handled by a typical steam trap
during normal service.
Universally accepted methods of obtaining FSL data
are described in two standards, Determination of Steam
Loss (ISO 7841) (2) and Steam Traps (ASME PTC
39) (3). These standards provide useful information for
measuring the amount of FSL from traps operating within
normal specification parameters.
A claim of zero FSL may not be relevant if it is not
based on a standard test method, or if the testing apparatus was not sophisticated enough to perform the testing required by the standard. When evaluating FSL data,
review the scientific methods used to obtain the data,
particularly the quality of the measurement apparatus, inde-

pendent verification that the measurement apparatus meets

at least one of the referenced standards, and the credentials
of the measurement witness.
Some companies may require trap manufacturers to
submit only audited FSL data obtained by independently
witnessed tests conducted in accordance with ISO 7841 or
ASME PTC 39 standards on sophisticated equipment that
has been independently validated by a globally recognized
authority.

Failure steam loss

When a steam trap fails, the steam lost is referred to as
failure steam loss (XSL). Since XSL only occurs when a
steam trap fails, it is directly related to the reliability of a
steam trap. Once failed, the amount of actual XSL per trap
varies. Assuming for calculation purposes that all failed
traps are leaking steam, a rule of thumb to approximate the
annual steam loss for a population of traps is: estimate XSL
as 4% of the specified maximum condensate load; multiply
that by the number of steam traps in the population; and
divide this by the expected life of that population. Averagequality traps may have just a 4-yr life expectancy (which
implies a 25% average population failure rate), while
higher-quality steam traps may have an 8-yr life expectancy (12.5% average population failure rate).
As an example, a steam trap with an 800 lb/h capacity
may lose 32 lb/h steam when failed blowing (i.e., losing, or
blowing, live steam). If there are 1,000 such failed blowing
traps, the estimated total steam loss could be 32,000 lb/h.
At $10 per 1,000 lb steam,
the value of this loss is
Table 2. Steam traps that fail blowing can cost a company every year.
$320/h or $2.8 million
XSL in Each
XSL Annual Cost in Each
XSL Total Annual
annually (Table 2) (4).
Steam Trap Model
Failure Cycle,
Failure Cycle
Cost for 1,000
and Condition
lb/h
(at $10/1,000 lb steam)
Failed Traps
Sites often focus on
FSL, but not XSL
Steam Trap A
Base Case
$0
$0
even though XSL usually
Good
represents a far greater
Steam Trap B
6.85
$600
$600,000
impact on system cost.
Failed, Small Leak
Furthermore, many plants
Steam Trap C
32.0
$2,803
$2,803,000
do not adhere to, or even
Failed, Blowing
have, a proactive steam-

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trap management program that includes annual testing and

repair of failures. By not maintaining a proactive program
to minimize XSL, such sites incur significant and unnecessary costs.
Common concerns about testing and replacement costs
are misguided. A population of 4,000 steam traps can typically be tested for under $80,000/yr. If the traps average
life expectancy is 4 yr, roughly 1,000 steam traps will
need to be replaced each year, at a cost of approximately
$500,000 annually. The sum of the testing cost ($80,000)
and the annualized replacement cost ($500,000) is just over
$580,000 for 4,000 traps. Spending $580,000 to identify
and repair failed traps that can impact system operating
cost by up to $2.8 million is often an easy investment to
justify.
However, if the 1,000 blowing traps that fail in one
year are not returned to a good state, and the next year
another 1,000 steam traps fail, the site then has a total
of 2,000 failed steam traps representing an annual steam
loss of up to $5.6 million (assuming all the failed traps
are blowing steam). Neglecting to spend the maintenance
cost associated with testing all traps and replacing 1,000
blowing traps annually could increase operational costs
almost five times the replacement cost for each year

the failed traps continue to operate.

Table 3 demonstrates what could happen if Steam
Traps B and C failed, but no repairs were made, and both
traps eventually deteriorated to blowing failures by Years 2
through 4. It is most likely not a plausible scenario for all
steam traps to be in a failed blowing condition, but the consequences should be considered as a worst-case scenario if
a decision is made to not repair failed steam traps. This is
a real-life situation often experienced when sites identify
leaking trap failures but take no action to repair them.
Table 3 also provides opportunity value estimates. If
the same traps are repaired in a timely fashion after they
are identified, the opportunity values for Traps B and C
are reduced drastically because steam loss in Years 24 is
eliminated (although the value of the recoverable steam
is still significant). Additional opportunities exist because
the repair scenario reduces costs by correcting XSL issues.
Higher-reliability traps to reduce incidence of XSL, and
more-efficient traps to lower FSL, should be selected to
optimize savings.
The goal of repairing Steam Trap B in Table 3 is most
likely not to gain a $300 value, but instead to avoid losing
$8,395 if no repair were made.
The focus thus far has been on blowing traps. Most

Table 3. When failed steam traps are not repaired, they can deteriorate to a blowing condition
and continue to lose steam (worst-case scenario). Repairing the failed steam traps promptly
will save money by mitigating steam loss in Years 24 (repair scenario).
Steam Trap Model
and Condition

FSL*

XSL*

FSL + XSL*

Cost of
Steam Trap Survey

Net Opportunity Value

(at $500/replacement)

Worst-Case Scenario: No maintenance occurs on failed traps for 4 yr. Steam Trap B develops a small leak in Year 1, which worsens to
blowing conditions in Years 24.
Steam Trap A

$35

$0

$35

$80

Base Case
(not failed)

$420

$9,010

$9,430

$80

$8,395

$1,086

$11,213

$11,213

$80

$10,598

Good
Steam Trap B
Failed, Small Leak
Steam Trap C
Failed, Blowing

Repair Scenario: When a trap is already leaking steam, FSL is not considered. Thus, since Trap B is leaking in Year 1, FSL is not added.
In Year 2, the trap is repaired and FSL is added for Years 24. Steam Traps B and C leak in Year 1, so FSL is added to the cost for only
Years 24.
Steam Trap A

$35

$0

$35

$80

Base Case
(not failed)

$420

$600

$915

$80

$300

$1,086

$2,803

$3,618

$80

$3,003

Good
Steam Trap B
Failed, Small Leak
Steam Trap C
Failed, Blowing
* FSL and XSL are calculated based on a steam cost of $10/1,000 lb.

CEP February 2011 www.aiche.org/cep

23

Back to Basics

leaking traps will eventually begin blowing as a result of

erosion over time. Another failure mode, blocked/lowtemperature traps (i.e., when condensate flow is blocked,
preventing drainage) can create significant safety or
operational issues, which can have a far greater impact on
operations. Therefore, the examples only use blowing traps
to provide simplified scenarios and tables for economic
comparison.

Coincident steam loss

Although significant, FSL and XSL might not have the
highest impact on operating costs. Coincident steam loss
(CSL) is often the highest-value steam, making it important to recover. CSL occurs when some component of the
steam system does not function properly for example,
the drainage mechanism of a heat exchanger or reboiler
might malfunction and a bypass valve open, or there may
be an open bleeder on a pipe or steam trap. Although
a failed tracer trap might lose XSL worth as much as
$2,800 annually through a relatively tiny leak, a single
open 2-in. bypass valve can have a far greater impact
CSL up to hundreds of thousands of dollars annually (4).
Sitewide, open bypass valves can represent a loss of well
over $1 million annually.
Any open bypass on equipment is an indication that the
steam trap or drainage device probably does not meet the
requirements of the application a bypass is opened to
compensate for poor system drainage. Fixing the cause by
replacing the drainage component with one that is
appropriately sized can eliminate waste and significantly
reduce costs.
Wasted condensate is another type of coincident steam
loss. If the system cannot drain condensate properly, either
a bypass valve will be opened to bleed steam and condensate, or a drain will be opened to discharge condensate
to the ground or to the sewer. In addition to the obvious
environmental consequences, wasted condensate must be
treated before it can be sent to a sewer system, placing
an unnecessary burden on the water treatment process.
Furthermore, the resulting make-up water must be treated
and heated, unnecessarily consuming more chemicals and
steam.
Dumping 10,000 lb/h of condensate can increase
costs by more than $100,000/yr. Consider the value of all
wasted, yet reasonably recoverable, condensate sitewide
when determining the facilitys priorities.
External steam loss
The cost of external steam loss (ESL) the steam
lost through piping, flanges, and valve packing is high.
It is not always obvious that the root cause of ESL is
often poorly functioning condensate discharge locations
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www.aiche.org/cep February 2011 CEP

(CDLs). A CDL is the drainage system consisting of the

steam trap and all piping and valves associated with it. The
CDL allows condensate to be effectively and efficiently
discharged from that location. If the CDL does not drain,
the resulting corrosion, erosion, and water hammer often
lead to ESL.
If a system is experiencing excessive ESL, examine its
CDLs to confirm that a proper drainage system exists. For
example, if there is a large number of flange leaks, consider
whether the flanges are being impacted by water hammer
conditions.
ESLs are often caused by insufficient CDLs or nonfunctional steam traps within the CDLs. One site repaired
hundreds of ESL failures only to have new ESLs occur
as soon as the repairs were complete. The cause of the
ESLs was found to be water hammer that was traced back
to insufficient CDLs and blocked steam traps in some
CDLs. Identifying the cause enabled corrective actions to
be taken.
Piping steam leaks have a significant negative cost
impact, and the cause is often found to be a steam trap
population in need of proactive attention and repair.

Maintenance considerations
Performing an annual physical plant examination is
essential to understanding the plants health. This exam
should include a survey of all the steam traps to determine
the failure state of the population (also sometimes called
failure rate, although rate should imply a time period).
Until all failed steam traps are repaired or replaced, it is
reasonable to expect 25% of a plants steam trap population to be in a failure state at a site that has traps with a life
expectancy of 4 yr.
It is important to understand the difference between
annualized failure rate the number of steam trap failures
in one year as a percentage of the total population and
failure state which describes the current populations
health. The annualized failure rate provides useful reliability information, and an indication of the life expectancy
of various steam traps. Failure state correlates directly to a
sites dedication to maintaining its steam trap population,
and provides quantified estimates that can be useful for
identifying cost-reduction opportunities.
Reliability and trap life
Asking a trap manufacturer or a distributor to estimate steam trap life expectancy might not yield the most
accurate information. Although manufacturers will provide
their best estimates, the plants own data because they
are based on a large, diverse trap population are a better
source of reliability information. However, obtaining these
data requires a consistent effort to conduct an annual sur-

vey and return the population to a zero failure state i.e.,

a zero reset.
To better understand zero reset, first consider that
the original steam system designers used the most readily available data to determine the need for CDLs and
their placement. The amount of redundancy built into a
steam system is typically only enough to assure drainage
for steam traps that might fail due to being blocked. The
actual extent of redundancy might be known only to the
original designers (or buried in the design documentation). Obtaining that information now might require a total
steam system audit to analyze each CDL. Such a project
might be worth undertaking at a site whose engineers
think it has too many steam traps. In the absence of such a
study, however, facilities should be cautious about removing CDLs because of the safety and reliability implications
of doing so.
Zero reset involves restoring all failed traps to a properly functioning condition to ensure that the original design
intent for system integrity, safety, and reliability is maintained. A facility with a limited maintenance budget might
continue to operate knowing that some traps are in a state of
failure however, this practice of failure carryover should
be avoided.
Failure carryover has obvious negative safety and cost
implications, whereas the implementation of zero reset,
together with accurate testing, can help a plant determine the
actual annualized failure rate of its trap population. Instead
of relying on outside sources to estimate trap reliability
based on other sites populations, use your own site-specific
data accumulated over several years of consistent testing,
combined with zero reset of failed traps, to obtain accurate,
verifiable empirical data that can be trusted.

Are some failures more critical than others?

There are three causes of steam trap failures wear,
blockage, and improper selection. Wear-caused failures
occur naturally during normal operation. Blockage-caused
failures occur when excessive debris carried by the condensate, or left behind when condensate flashes, blocks an
orifice or strainer screen, impeding flow. Both wear and
blockage indicate that a trap is no longer functioning according to specifications. Selection-related failures occur because
the traps installed do not fully meet the applications requirements for proper drainage, even though the traps may be in
perfect working order.
To understand which failures are the most critical, it is
important to recognize the difference between drainage failures the failure to remove condensate from the system
and leakage failures failed traps that remove condensate
but also leak steam.
Drainage failures are the most critical to address because

the traps have stopped performing their primary function

draining condensate from the system. Drainage failures are
often caused by a blockage, but they can also be caused by
improper selection (e.g., choosing a steam trap to operate
outside its pressure differential capability, or one that is too
small or that has too much subcooling for the application).
Whatever the cause, drainage failures tend to create the most
danger and havoc in a system and should be corrected as a
first priority.
Leakage failures impact the bottom line by reducing
system efficiency, but leaking traps still perform the primary
function of draining condensate. Leakage failures may be
caused by wear, debris, or improper selection. Whatever the
cause, leakage failures represent a quick opportunity for cost
reduction.

Accurately identifying failures

There are several ways to identify steam trap failures, but
a combination of temperature measurement (to determine
drainage failures) and ultrasonic technologies (to determine
leakage failures) has proven to be very effective. Highquality temperature measurement at the trap inlet will reveal
whether the trap is backing up condensate which usually
indicates some form of drainage failure. Identifying leakage
failures is more difficult.
The movement of fluid in a closed system develops ultrasonic noise. An ultrasonic testing instrument recognizes the
noise created by flowing condensate or steam, or both, and
can be used to determine a traps operating condition based
on the difference between the ultrasonic profiles of leaking
steam and discharging condensate.
Some instruments recognize the difference in amplitude between the ultrasonic levels generated by steam and
condensate, providing information about the traps condition
but not necessarily the source of the leak. Some instruments
provide an audible output that requires the tester to make
a subjective judgment, the accuracy of which depends on
the experience of the tester. Any measurement should be
compared to a reference standard to identify the source of
the ultrasonic noise and determine the condition of the trap.
At least one company makes an ultrasonic testing instrument
that indicates trap condition by comparing the actual ultrasonic readings to empirical data that reflect known values.
Knowing what failures exist and what actions to take to
correct them requires an accurate diagnosis of every steam
traps actual condition. Otherwise, cost-recovery opportunities to correct leakage failures might be missed, or maintenance funds might be wasted replacing properly functioning
traps. Consider implementing routine testing using diagnostic instrumentation that has been independently validated
by a recognized authority in order to accurately assess the
condition of your plants steam traps.
Article continues on next page
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Table 4. Typical characteristics for specific steam trap applications.

Condensate Flow

Condensate Backup Length

Condensate
Subcooling Amount

Utility/Distribution Steam

Small

None to a Short Trail

None to a Small Amount

Heating, Ventilating,
and Air Conditioning

Small to Large

None to a Short Trail

None to a Small Amount

Rotating Equipment

Small to Large

None to a Short Trail

None to a Small Amount

Steam Trap Application

Process Equipment

Small to Large

None to a Short Trail

None to a Small Amount

High-Temperature Tracing

Very Small

None to a Short Trail

None to a Small Amount

Low-Temperature Tracing

Very Small

Long Trail

Large Amount

Selecting steam traps for best performance

Even though a steam trap can be of the very highest
quality, it will not necessarily work well in a particular
application. Similarly, a lesser-quality trap might perform
better than the highest-quality trap if the operating characteristics of the selected trap more closely match the requirements of the application.
Typical steam trap characteristics include:
modulating vs. cyclic discharge
narrow vs. wide operating pressure range
small vs. large capacity
horizontal, vertical, or angled orientation
insulated vs. bare.
For a more detailed explanation of steam trap principles,
types, and characteristics, see Ref. 1, and for more information on draining steam-using process equipment, see Ref. 5.
Every trap is expected to have a long life and low cost
of operation. Each application also usually has very specific
requirements, a few of which are listed in Table 4.
For example, process or other heating equipment can
have condensate flow requirements ranging from small to
large, depending on process demand and how much steam
the equipment condenses. The general rule of thumb is
that there should be no condensate backup in order to keep
steam on the entire condensing surface.
Utility or distribution steam is used to deliver heat and
power steam to processing equipment. The condensate
loads are typically small, but one of the main requirements
is that there is no backup in order to prevent the carryover
or slugs that can create water hammer and dangerous conditions or equipment damage.
Tracing loads are typically very small, but the differences between high-temperature and low-temperature
requirements can often determine the amount of acceptable
backup. Backup and subcooling are directly related high
subcooling means that condensate will experience a long
backup leg.
Table 4 provides general guidelines, not absolute mandates, as each installation needs to be evaluated individually.
As stated earlier, a trap on a steam-distribution line should,
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in general, have little backup. However, an application with

a steam main located 30 ft overhead and a trap at grade
might be able to tolerate more condensate backup if it can be
assured that condensate will not remain in the steam header
(which could lead to downstream water hammer damage).
Steam traps should be selected specifically for each
application. It is rare that one type of trap can be used for all
traps throughout a plant.
The responsibility to select appropriate steam traps
and maintain them may appear overwhelming at first. The
information in this article should prove helpful in choosing
the right equipment and operating it efficiently and at the
CEP
lowest overall cost.

James R. Risko, CEM, is the president of TLV Corp. (13901 South Lakes Dr.,
Charlotte, NC 28273; Phone: (704) 597-9070; E-mail: risko@TLVengineering.com). The author of more than 25 articles related to steam
systems, he is active in standards writing activities of the Fluid Controls
Institute (FCI), and has previously served as the organizations chairman, standards chair, and chair of the Secondary Pressure and Steam
Trap Sections. He is a dually certified energy manager, by the Association of Energy Engineers and North Caroline State Univ. He holds an
MBA from Wilkes Univ. (Wilkes Barre, PA), and two BS degrees, in
mathematics/education and business administration/accounting, from
Kutztown Univ. (Kutztown, PA).

Literature Cited
1. Risko, J. R., Steam Traps Operating Principles and Types,
Fluid Controls Institute Technical Sheet #ST 107, www.fluid
controlsinstitute.org/pdf/resource/steam/ST107OperatingPrinciplesandTypes.pdf, FCI, Cleveland, OH (April. 2008).
2. International Organization for Standardization, Automatic
Steam Traps Determination of Steam Loss Test Methods,
ISO 7841, ISO, Geneva, Switzerland (1988).
3. American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Steam Traps,
PCT 39, ASME, New York, NY (2005).
4. Steam Trap Losses What It Costs You, www.tlv.com/
global/US/steam-theory/cost-of-steam-trap-losses.html, TLV Co.,
Ltd., Kakogawa, Japan.
5. Risko, J. R., Effective Drainage of Condensing Equipment,
Fluid Controls Institute, Technical Sheet #ST 106, www.fluidcontrolsinstitute.org/pdf/resource/steam/ST106EffectiveDrainCondensingEquip.pdf, FCI, Cleveland, OH (Feb. 2007).